Naruto Tactics
by Godai
Summary: A Naruto Final Fantasy Tactics Crossover I wrote to get over my writer's block. NaruxSaku eventualy. No Yaoi. R
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer : Neither Naruto nor FFTA are mine, although I own a copy of the game and several Naruto Manga.

Another story, another crossover, another original plot! I AM A GENIUS! I had help from the people from the NaruxSaku fan club so do not ask for the pairing, it will be NaruxSaku!

Naruto Tactics

In a dark corner of the country of Ivalice, two shadows were running. The first one, with it's keen eye and ear was recognizing the ground before the far stronger and sturdier companion followed. The first one was a Viera called Concetta. Born to the tribe of female warriors, she was amongst the top ranking members of clan Nutsy. The second one was Arthur, a fellow clans member who had joined a few months before. They were on a dispatch mission into one of the most dangerous places in Ivalice: The Jagd. A place where law in inexistent, the place where death truly surrounds you. Arthur, a Bangaa, halted abruptly for some reason and Concetta turned back to his side.

"What is it? You smell something?" She asked in hushed tones.

"A human chhhhild, yessss. It cannot be an adult from thessse placcesss, he doesss not have the ssssmell of blood." He said as he looked around. His lizard features gave him an advantage in the dark even if Concetta was far more apt to combat then he was. He had just begun training in the ways of the dragoons as she was a master of the way of the assassins. He pointed towards a point and the Viera saw a small child, about three years old, sleeping in the middle of this desolation.

"Change of plans Arthur, we can't let this kid be in danger. If we were to get into an engagement here there would be no judge to protect him from battle." She stepped towards the child and took him into her arms, carefully cradling him. Viera were still women at heart and maternal instinct was one of the driving forces of their society.

"I agree." The Bangaa said as he turned towards the way they had come. He didn't say anymore knowing their mission was now a failure. But who cared anyway? A child's life was way more important then a bit of gold.

It took them a day to get out of the Jagd but the boy had still not awakened. This worried Concetta who, once they escaped the deathtrap, doubled her pace to rejoin the clan which was waiting nearby for their mission report.

She found the encampment the clan was using and went quickly to the Nu-Mou white mage.

"Hey Concetta! Was the mission so easy you already finished it?" Douglas, the white mage asked her before he saw the child she carried. "Found a lost puppy eh ? Let me look at him." He motioned her to put the child on his operating table. Being the assigned healer of such a large clan made him into some kind of doctor, even with his crude sense of humour.

The viera carefully laid the sleeping child upon the surface and let the mage to his work. She still had to warn the clan leaders of what had happened.

"You're back already Concetta?" The official leader of their clan said as a greeting. "Where's Arthur? He didn't get killed I hope." If there was one thing Marche had that made him a good leader, it was that he cared about his troups.

"No but we found something more pressing and had to abandon the mission." She answered.

"And what, pray tell, could be more important then the mission?" The second in command asked. Since Montblanc had left to start his own clan the leader of Clan Ritz, Ritz Malheur, had taken his post as second in command. The girl was a lot like a Viera. So similar in fact that she had come to learn how they fought and the secrets of their magic.

"A child, we found a three years old human sleeping in the Jagd. He's with Douglas getting healed." Concetta answered. Ritz's eyes opened widely at the revelation.

"You did well Concetta. Arthur is on his way back then." Marche summarized as Ritz made a discreet exit and a beeline towards the infirmary.

"I couldn't leave him there. If he's an orphan the Cyril orphanage or some other place would be better for him." She said.

"Anyplace is better then the Jagd." Marche said. "Get some rest, Ritz should be at his side by now and I'll wait for Arthur. We're leaving tomorrow for Cyril and we'll try to get him into the orphanage." Marche pressed his hand to her shoulder and went to the healer's tent to see this orphan.

Naruto woke up to a frightening sight. A creature was mumbling over him. It was wearing a large white robe with a red trims.

"Wha-wha. . ." Naruto stammered.

"Easy there little one." The Nu-mou tried to calm him but Naruto cringed back from the touch of the healer. He felt arms circle his body from behind and a soothing feminine voice calmed him.

"It's alright, there's no danger now." The lady said gently. Naruto froze, people didn't speak kindly to him. The only time he had eared an adult speak kindly it was to their own children never to himself. His child's mind worked on overdrive suddenly. Mothers spoke to their children kindly, the woman was talking to him kindly. Hope filtered through him and affected his thinking center.

Naruto deduced this kind woman had to be his mother! He didn't know where or when the other children had gotten their parents but he wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth and he turned to the woman and hugged her with all his strength.

"Mommy!" He exclaimed as he sobbed out of joy. The blond boy took Ritz aback. It felt strangely good to be called 'mommy' by a child not her own but she wasn't about to pounder upon what the kid was thinking by calling her his mother. She held him in her arms for a second and talked to him softly.

Naruto was lulled asleep by the sweet voice of _his _mother and she let him sleep on the bed and stroked his hair a couple of times.

"He'll be alright physically but I don't know if he's ever even _seen _a nou-mu from his reaction to me. He might even be like you and Marche, someone from another world. I'm not very sure since the Morpher's job isn't my branch but he might contain a monster's soul. You should ask Beor to check him just in case but from what I can tell it's a permanent thing, like a sealing the judges use for the laws but much more perfected." The white mage theorised as he cleaned his working instruments. Even though he was a white mage, surgery was sometimes necessary and Marche was extremely strict on the tidiness of the tools.

"Thank you Douglas. I'll take him to my tent and let him rest." Ritz said as she took the child out of the infirmary and fopund herself face to face with Marche.

"Hey there, is this the kid." Marche asked. He was looking at the blond child the woman carried and, at her silent beckoning, followed her to their tent. It was larger than the others for two reasons. Wether Marche wanted it or not he was the leader of the clan and it was occupied by both himself and Ritz.

"So, how is he ?" Marche asked once they let him on the spare bedroll they carried.

"He thinks I'm his mother." She said as she let herself to his side and stroked his hair gently.

"Well, who knows, you may look like she did." Marche said as he let himself next to her.

"Marche, you don't understand. I want to keep him. We can't let him into an orphanage, he came to Ivalice the same way we did." She explained to him. The blond Paladin nodded at her revelation and thought for a second.

"Maybe he's not from our dimension, we may even be his parents from where he came from." Marche mused. Ritz nodded as the child stirred a little. His eyes cracked open to see his new mother talking with a man. Naruto grinned. It had to be his father! Now he'd get to have a mother's love and do the things the other children did with their fathers! He jumped at the man and tackled him to the ground.

"Daddy!" He shouted happily. Marche smiled at the kid and rubbed his hand through his hair.

"Well now, how do we call this kid dear?" He asked as he looked to his wife.

"I already have a name! I'm Naruto!" He almost screamed and his new father laughed.

"Well Naruto! I'm your father and she's your mother!" He exclaimed as he lifted the bundle of energy into the air.


	2. 2

Naruto Tactics

I still own nothing. . . sadly. . .

I wish to thank my reviewers and the people of the Naru/Saku fanclub forum with whom I kind of planified this in the alternate universe thread. Be warned, this story shall be Naru/Saku! NaruSaku RULEZ!

Chapter 1

A black form was running through the Numbswoods. It moved swiftly from shadow to shadow almost never showing itself to the light. Any inhabitant of Ivalice would have recognised an assassin had they seen the young woman running under concealment but she was virtually invisible. She was carrying a pack full of different scrolls on her back and a long katana was at her sides.

Another dark form was running through the trees of this area. A ninja using his speed to run right after the assassin. Due to their natures, most people would either think one of them dead and the other an assassin or even the two to be allies. Naruto had a mission. This peculiar assassin was a pink haired woman and he was to catch her for interrogation. The fact that it wasn't his mother or his little sister he was running after was the disturbing fact. His mother was the only known human in Ivalice to be able to wield the powers the Viera race could control. The blonde ninja had the woman in sight; he composed several seals and unleashed his technique.

"Doton! Chi no Ken no Jutsu!" He called the earth veil to immobilise his target. The attack didn't do her any damage but it stopped the woman in her tracks. He went close to her and found a woman with an uncanny resemblance with his mother. Her pink hair and green eyes would make her a twin sister. He stopped just far enough not to be in her range of normal attack but didn't use the water veil to silence her. He had an interrogation to conduct.

"Just kill me! I'll never reveal where the resistance is!" She screamed at his face.

"Resistance? What resistance? The kingdom of Ivalice doesn't have a resistance. The clans would just get them if someone tried anything." Naruto answered. "Now just tell me your name and why you've been terrorising this part of the woods. Maybe I'll just let you off with a warning and not alert the judges." He told her.

"Don't try it with me! You're a spy for either Oto no Kuni or the Akatsuki!" She spat towards him.

The gears of Naruto's mind started working. A hidden village, he was from an hidden village. Could it be she was from his world? Apart from Konoha he didn't know any other villages even if he knew some existed. The blonde approached the young woman who had to be about his age from what he could gather from her appearance.

"Do you know about Konoha?" He asked just as he stepped into her range of combat. "How did you get here?" He asked at the look in her eyes. "I've searched all over Ivalice to find how I came here!"

"You mean, you're from Konoha? Are you a Chunin, better yet! A jounin!" She asked now hopeful for an ally.

"No, I lived there when I was about three years old." Naruto answered. The woman lost her hopeful look and went back to the defensive. Naruto released his technique though. "From what you said the village is under attack." He took off his facemask and revealed his face and the red marks upon his cheeks. "My name is Naruto, I'll take you to my place and we'll talk about what happened to you." He said. Sakura was confused. The ninja just had her under his control but he was letting her go free.

"You want something from me!" She said as she took a step back from him.

"No, I told you my name and took off my mask. For ninjas here it's a mark of respect and friendship." He said seriously, his back still to the woman.

Sakura didn't move from her position but when Naruto turned to face her she took off her mask. Naruto blushed at this and turned around. "You're dressed as an assassin. For those who control this class, the face mask is only removed when . . . the assassins marry. . ." He said. Sakura blushed at the implications.

"You mean . . . we're married according to your customs!?" She asked. The ninja shook his head and the woman replaced the mask over her face.

"No, we don't even know each other's name." He said.

"I'm Sakura, a Jounin from the village of Konoha." She bowed slightly.

"Alright, let's move now." He said. The ninja jumped to the lowest branch and started running, closely followed by Sakura.

It took them a couple of hours to rejoin the city of Cyril where clan Nutsy was based. The small team of 'Nutjobs' as the barkeep had called them was now as large as a small army. Clans were affiliated to it and the success had made sure that both Raidujyu were managing the affairs almost full time, only the major battles made them enter engagements.

Naruto entered the rather large estate with Sakura in tow. He went to the main office and threw away his vest.

"Mission accomplished dad, I've brought the culprit just like they asked." He said. His father nodded and looked up from his papers.

"You were supposed to bring her to Spromh you know." He said.

"There are circumstances, she's from my hometown." Naruto answered.

"You do know I'm still here." Sakura said as she played with the mask. Kakashi liked the damn thing.

"Sorry, Show her a guest room and give me your report, I'll arrange things with the client.

Naruto showed Sakura to a large room connected to a bathroom. The young woman made herself a bath and took profit from it's presence while Naruto was gone. She hadn't been able to relax in two weeks. She was about to get inside when Naruto's voice stopped her in her tracks.

"I'm coming in!" Sakura had left the door leading to the bath open and Naruto was given a very detailed view of the 16 year old woman. Naruto froze in his position, he was completely paralysed and Sakura looked like a deer caught into headlights. She was the first one to regain her conscious thoughts. She seized a nearby towel and hid what she could before she quickly moved to kill the boy.

"NA" Naruto wasn't stupid, far from it, the kid was a genius. "RU" But when confronted with a naked woman, men react almost always the same way. "TO!" They freeze and admire the view while they can. Naruto had burned each and every curve of Sakura's body, from her cute toes to the root of her hair (not THOSE hair, the ones on her head you pervs!). "DIIIIIIE!" The look of rage on her face was also registered and the fact that she was inhumanely strong registered as well but the image of the beautiful assassin was first and foremost into his brain. 'She's even more beautiful when she's angry!' He thought before he crashed into the higher part of the wall in front of the stairs. He fell back to the ground on his feet. That attack had been as strong as a Monk's hit.

The boy fell right in front of his sister, Ryoko. The girl had inherited their mother's connection to spirituality and even more. She had been born in Ivalice. She was training as both a red mage and a summoner. One of the most powerful combinations of skills for a Viera.

"What did you do this time? Do I have to watch you all the time brother?" She had also inherited the hair and attitude from her mother. Her blue eyes and cheerful grin had been from her father though.

"I just walked in on a girl sis, nothing really important." He answered without thinking.

"Oh! You have a girlfriend!" She deduced. That part of her had come from her big brother. Naruto regretted corrupting the girl to teasing and pranks. She had magic to help her and when she got angry. . .it wasn't pretty.

"Shut up Ryoko!" He snapped as Sakura came down clad in the outfit of an assassin yet again.

"You pervert! Try that again and you won't be having children!" She said vehemently. Ryoko stared wide eyed at the assassin in front of her.

"You saw her without the face mask?" The little girl said. "You work fast bro! Well nice to meet you, I'm Ryoko, your sister-in-law!" The girl said as she presented her hand. Sakura took it into hers and shook it slowly.

"I was going to ask you to come to my room." Sakura looked enraged at what Naruto said and the boy stumbled over his words. "I didn't mean. . .I mean, I meant to say. . .we kinda. . .still have to talk!" Sakura calmed herself a bit and nodded.

"Just don't make too much noise bro!" Ryoko called after the two climbing the stairs.

Sakura could have resumed the look of Naruto's room. It was a mess.

"Sorry for the mess but I had to leave for my dispatch fast." He said as he took a chair and gave it to her. He sat on his bed, his back to the wall and waited for Sakura to start her story.

"Alright, I'll have to explain what happened 4 years ago." She started. "Ninjas out of basic training at the academy are put in teams of three in every village. My team was composed of myself, Koga, the class clown and Sasuke Uchiha."

She waited for questions but Naruto was intent on listening at the entire story.

"We did a few missions before we were allowed into the Chunin exams. The second test was rigged for us though. An S-class criminal called Orochimaru had planted a trap for Sasuke. They fought but he was too strong for him. Sasuke was overwhelmed by a weird tattoo which is called a cursed seal." She took a second to breath. "The first attack came during the third exam. Koga was already out of the game and Sasuke was fighting another genin called Sabaku no Gaara. We were lucky enough that when this Gaara unleashed his strongest attack that a senin called Jiraiya was around, especially me. The boy knocked Koga out and almost killed me. Sasuke couldn't do anything. Then the man left and came back with our current Hokage since the third was killed by Orochimaru."

"The Sandaime died?" Naruto asked, showing a genuine concern in his voice. The man had been one of the rare people to treat him like any other child.

"Yes, Orochimaru killed him with his sword. . ." She said sadly.

"That BASTARD!" Naruto yelled. His chakra came out in violent waves of power around him affecting Sakura. He was breathing violently after his outburst and settled back down.

"Yes, well, that was four years ago. Then Sasuke left the village. A group of five men went after him but Koga never came back. Sasuke killed him. . ." She bit back a sob. She was a ninja of Konoha, she didn't have feelings. "Then we had three years of peace, until a group of men came to the village claiming to be after the legacy of the fourth. They searched the whole village and killed anyone in their way until they left for some reason. Then the sound launched another attack. As strong as our Hokage is, she couldn't hold that man and announced the retreat. We've been resisting ever since in hopes to get our homes back."

Naruto saw the hurt in her eyes and had to fight the impulsion to give her a heartfelt hug.

"You were sent to find assistance weren't you?" He asked. The woman nodded and gestured to the scrolls at her sides.

"These contain some of the greatest secrets of my village. I was sent to our ally of Suna no Kuni to hide them and ask for assistance." She almost slumped into her seat as though she had just used all her energy.

"Well, you can leave those here." He said. "We're in another dimension altogether so no one from our homeworld should be able to get to them." He said. "And I'm going back with you, I don't know why but I feel like I have to protect that place." He said as he rose from his bed. "But first. . ." He smiled in anticipation. He swiped a scroll from the pouch and opened it. "We need to learn all these techniques."

Naruto took a pose with the scroll, a very large one, in his hand. Somehow, Sakura found the strength to smile before she fell asleep in her seat.

(Would be a good place to stop but I'm inspired!)

Sakura woke up to the sound of a scroll being unrolled for reading. She opened her eyes to find herself in Naruto's bed. The blond was on the ground reading the forbidden scroll.

"Don't read that one!" She said suddenly. "Those skills are forbidden, they're dangerous for the user." She said as she looked at there Naruto was reading. She had made sure to read all the skills names to counter any counterfeit scrolls. He was about to read the last jutsu on the long list of forbidden skills, the technique which had killed both the yondaime and the Sandaime, the Shiki fuuin. "That's a suicide attack!" She screamed.

"I know that, I wasn't about to learn that kind of skill. I jumped any suicide techniques in this thing." Naruto contered. He rolled the scroll back into place and gave it to Sakura.

"I'm guessing you know every one of those techniques since you had to retain the knowledge, you're just not powerful enough to use all of them safely." He said as he took the second scroll, this one was containing only one technique and Naruto disregarded it as being an illusion, the third scroll contained an exhaustive list of fire, earth and water techniques. Naruto started reading eagerly under the light of a candle. Night had fallen over Ivalice but Naruto was learning about his birthplace, every technique was giving him back a piece of his origins. The child whom had wanted only loving parents had grown from an insecure orphan to a man hungry for any knowledge of his origins.

He eagerly read every technique one after another and the notes about the possible combos. Unlike the Kage Bunshin he couldn't try them in his room but he learned every step of the control of his energies and the seals necessary for their use. Sakura fell asleep to the sight of Naruto reading the scroll and couldn't help but compare his face to the one of the Yondaime that was carved upon the cliffs overlooking her village.

The next morning, Naruto had fallen from the chair and his head was right next to Sakura's as he slept kneeled on the side of his bed.

The pink haired girl woke to the sight of blonde hair, everything looked blonde. She sat and saw his position. He had studied the scroll until he was exhausted. She smiled as she thought of her new ally. He looked so cute when he slept.

Sakura moved her hand to her face and replaced her mask that had fallen in her sleep. She got out of the bed and shook Naruto a little. The blonde woke with a start and took a step back out of reflex before he took in his surroundings.

"Who what where?" He asked as he took in his surroundings.

"Sakura, waking you up and it's your home Naruto." She said shaking her head at his display of instincts.

"Sorry, I'm always on edge when I'm sleeping." He said sheepishly with his hand scratching behind his head. "Anyway." He was back to serious business. "We have to take our breakfast and go see my uncle Mewt! He's the king of Ivalice and he should have the thing we're looking for." He informed the pink haired teenager as he rose from his crouching position. "Let's get to breakfast before someone comes to wake us."

Naruto leaved the room followed by Sakura who was a bit lost inside his families large estate. He led her to the kitchen where Ryoko was already eating a bowl of ninja-O's ™.

"Two rules in here." The young red mage stated. "First the Ninja-O's ™ are mine, and no one can touch them. Second rule, whoever touches them dies, any questions?" The pink haired child asked.

"If the Ninja-O's are yours then why is Naruto eating a bowl?" Sakura asked as she waited for the girl's reaction. Ryoko lifted a hand and a bolt of lightning toasted her mischievous brother to a crisp. Naruto had been preparing the greatest of all meals: Ramen but to his sister it looked like he had poured cereals into a bowl!

"Thank you for helping me, you can take one, and I do mean only ONE, bowl of Ninja-O's!" The red mage exclaimed.

"My Ramen. . ." wailed Naruto, ignored by the females. His father walked in to find Naruto toasted with a bowl in his hand.

"Tried to take some Ninja-O's did you?" He asked.

"No, women are. . .Evil." Naruto answered the other man as he went back to making a new bowl of ramen.

"Don't I know about it. . ." Marche muttered under his breath just as Ritz walked into the room.

"Naruto, why is there another girl at the table?" The woman asked.

"Oh, you haven't met Sakura-chan yet mom!" He said with a large smile. "Sakura-chan, this is my mom, Ritz. Mom, Sakura-chan!" He said excited. Ritz and Sakura shook hands with a smile.

"So you're the courageous woman who raised Naruto. It must have been a nightmare from what I've seen of him until now." She said.

"Well, I do pity the girl who's going to be his girlfriend, she'll have quite a bag of trouble with Naruto." Answered Ritz as she went to make herself two toasts and a coffee.

"So, care to tell us the whole story son?" Marche asked as he sipped from his cup.

"You do it Sakura-chan, you know the story better than I do." Naruto said as he went to prepare his third bowl of instant Ramen.

Sakura recounted the events leading to her arrival in Ivalice. Naruto only interrupted when she came to the part where he captured her.

The three Raidudju took a moment to think carefully.

"Well, Naruto does come from your world and if he didn't help you it would cause problems here from what we gathered from our experience." Marche said.

"It really can't be helped. As long as Naruto wants to gowith you. You'll need the Gran Grimoire you know." Ritz added.

"I'm going with you!" Ryoko added only for her mother to catch the back of her overcoat.

"You will do no such thing young lady! You're a mage, not a warrior. Your magic will not follow you to this other world!" Ritz explained to her youngest child. Signs of a second pregnancy were visible on her own anatomy or Marche and herself would have marched to battle but her condition didn't allow either of them from following him yet.

"Naruto, take the strongest gear possible from the armory for yourself and Sakura. I'll also let you use Avuyr blue and Avuyr red. The blades should come in handy." Marche regretted not following his son but Naruto understood why he couldn't follow. Responsibility was such an hassle sometimes.

"Your strongest gear? I can't really accept you know." Sakura mumbled sounding humble. They were doing so much already by merely hiding the scrolls from the enemy. Naruto was an added bonus if a ninja like Gaara could change the tide of battle, another ninja like Naruto couldn't really hamper down the odds.

The different items equipped or loaded into their respective inventory space, Sakura and Naruto left for the royal palace. It took two days to get there and when the gates became visible Sakura thought Naruto would do something courteous in the court but all he did was wave his hand to the king nonchalantly.

"Hey there Uncle Newt, Uncle Lednar!" He saluted the king and the current judge master and briefly explained the reason of their presence.

"We do have the gran grimoire Naruto, it's in the royal library, just ask Babus to show you the book, he's always reading them these days." The king answered their query before he dismissed them for the earrings in an affair of justice. Being the king sucked according to the man on the throne. He looked to his 'negative' copy Lednar and smiled. He had a way to escape even if his twin got pissed at him, every time he used it.

Naruto guided Sakura towards Babus's library. The rune keeper was reading an immense tome with ancient runes inscribed inside.

"Hey nerdy! Still have your nose inside those books?" The human greeted the white and well groomed Nu-Mou, still young for his race of people, the odd rune master lifted his left hand to sand a harmless water spell towards the ninja who evaded the attack.

"I heard you had married to an assassin from your sister, should I assume she said the truth for once?" The scholar asked as he turned from his fascinating book, "For you to come into the library must mean you want the grimoir right? The one for your world?" He asked as he moved surprisingly swiftly between the numerous bookshelves to take a large scroll in the same style as the forbidden scroll of Konoha.

"Here it is, come back sometime Naruto, your parents would most probably be devastated if you were to disappear for good. Our country needs Clan Nutsy and. . ." The white being wasn't about to say he'd miss the ninja. It would be undignified but as a member of the clan he had an attachment to the boy, just as every member or ex-members felt to Marche of Montblanc.

"I'll be careful but they'll fear me and flee rather than fight me you know." The ninja said as he took the scroll from the hands of his friend.

"I'll take care of him for you sir. . . if you are a sir. . ." Sakura said uncertainly. Naruto chuckled, it was hard to differenciate male and female Nu-Mou at first until they talked but Babus had an ambiguous voice since he hadn't truly hit the end of his puberty, his voice changed from one second to the next and it confused the humans who didn't know him.

"Laugh all you want Naruto but while I'm still in my prime you are already married!" retaliated the teenager as he returned to his books. "Now leave my library, I have research to conduct!" He exclaimed as he dismissed them to a room more appropriate to their purpose.

The room was barren of any decoration at all. The fact that there was no roof was enough to light the place. Naruto took the scroll and opened it right in the center of the room. He motioned for Sakura to take place in front of him. Both of them kept absolute silence as they completed the technique needed to open the portal to their world. Both bit their thumbs enough to draw blood and wrote an elephant seal upon their palm before they slammed them next to the paper.

The world blurred around the two as they were transported from a barren room of the king's castle to the tomb of fallen heroes of Konoha in the middle of the forest. Naruto was roughly dragged away by a panicked Sakura. This was within enemy lines and she was one of the priority targets.

"Oi! Sakura! What's the matter?" He asked as he started running on his own.

"We're on the wrong side of the battle field!" She exclaimed as she took out numerous kunai from her pouch. Naruto jumped to the trees and was confronted face to face with a sound chunin.

"AL-ARRRRRG!" Naruto properly sliced the man's spine between the second and third cervical. His motor and vital motions cut, the man fell and was already dead before he even hit the ground. Naruto continued on his way repressing the sickness that came with killing. He had been on missions in the jags and his team always came out on top but it was a disturbing experience to end another man's life. He knew he hadn't been fast enough and that soon they would have at least a patrol after them but the death of the guard would give them a little respite.

"Dammit, we're completely vulnerable!" Sakura exclaimed as she accelerated a little. Once they reached the river a squad of allies might be able to help them, unless they decided to kill on sight all of a sudden.

"Sakura-san!" A dark blur ran along the pink haired teen as the blonde came down from the trees.

"Mission halfway accomplished, the scrolls are safe." She stated to the bowl haired youth.

"Shikamaru made contact with the sand, who's the other guy?" He asked as they turned at the river, all three running over the water. To reduce traces and odours.

"Later, for now we have trouble behind us." The blond said as he braked to face the crisis. "You wouldn't want to be followed to your base would you?" He asked as he wound back his left hand. He waited a second as Sakura prepared a jutsu and Lee took a protective position in front of them to block incoming projectiles.

"Fighter tech! Hadogeki!" Naruto exclaimed as he punched forward and made water explode all over their pursuers.

"Raiton! Raiun no jutsu!" Sakura released her technique and a cloud formed right where the water had risen from. The thunder cloud didn't leave much chance for the sound ninjas and leaved the way wide opened for the konoha threesome.

"Nice jutsu!" complimented Lee.

"Nice catching, how many did you get?" The blonde asked.

"Only about fifty or so." The green beast of Konoha replied with a smile. Naruto was impressed, even jugglers would have been hard pressed to catch fifty or so projectiles in the limited amount of time they were sent their way, maybe Mordecai could have but the moggle was crazy anyway, the moment he had learned the catch ability he had made it his life's ambition to protect his team mates from every projectiles, even the bullets which he caught with his teeths.

A shadow suddenly rose from the water in front of Sakura.

"Hello Sakura-chan, how's Koga? Oh! I forgot! I killed him." The man who had once been Sasuke was standing in front of them.

"I was supposed to only eliminate Lee here present but maybe I should go for the bonus for performance tonight." The traitor said as he jumped back to evade the kunai Naruto had thrown towards him.

"A new dobe Sakura-chan?" he asked to the girl who seemed paralysed. She snapped out of her trance at the mention of the word he had used to describe their team mate.

"Naruto's more powerful than you imagine!" She exclaimed without thinking as she bit her thumb and they both started to invoke their summons.

"Damn! They're summoning!" Lee exclaimed. Naruto quickly started to concentrate in a similar manner. He made a seal and unleashed silently the concentration hability he had learned from various archers over the years. While his training had focussed upon ninjutsu and fighter classes he had taken the time to learn many useful tricks, the most useful came from Beor the Morpher, the strangest of all the many kinds of jobs. While an animist or a beast master would communicate with creatures, morphers thought they were the creatures. Only Nu-Mon were that close to nature, and crazy enough, to actually become the monsters they fought. Beor was even stranger than the rest of them. He could actually communicate with the monsters directly using their own language. He had thought Naruto some very valuable lessons, even if the boy he had been back then couldn't completely understand the strange Nu-Mou he could feel some sort of bound with him. Something he had taught him was that a morpher, when he is in full empathy with the soul within him, can actually summon said creature to battle for him. He was one of the rare to be able to use this skill, he was in fact the only one known but he was also the craziest of them all. Naruto gathered his power for what he was about to do, unleashing the technique had consequences but he wasn't about to let Sakura face this guy alone.

It seemed an eternity and a short moment before all three contenders released their techniques.

"Kuchiyose no jutsu!" Sakura and Sasuke exclaimed calling forth a slug and a snake.

"Koumajutsu Kuchiyose!" Naruto called at the same moment, a dark form came to their plan of existence. Large, strong and fearsome, his beast materialised in the material plane. "Kyuby no Youma!"

End of chapter

Translation notes

Koumajutsu – Demon invocation

Raiun no Jutsu – Thunder cloud technique

Hadogeki – the far fist technique


End file.
